Council Considers Gerstenslager
Tax Abatement To Save Jobs

Published: November 13, 1999 12:00AM

City Council will consider a 10-year, 50 percent abatement on real estate and personal property taxes for The Gerstenslager Co. during its Monday meeting.

Gerstenslager, a subsidiary of Worthington Industries, is planning $7.2 million in new construction, improvements to the existing plant and new machinery and equipment. The expansion would retain 86 jobs.

Wayne Development Council Executive Director Frank Beeson said this is something his organization is very enthusiastic about.

"If we put this project up and get enterprise zoning, we will retain 86 jobs," Beeson said. "If we do not, those 86 jobs will be lost.

"I'm thrilled personally that Gerstenslager and Worthington have decided to expand in Wooster," Beeson said. "We're very lucky to have (those companies) in our community."

The abatement request has a provision that would require Gerstenslager Co. to remain in Wooster for an additional year for each year of abatement.

Out of the $7,265,583 expansion project, Beeson said, about $5.4 million will be spent on new machinery. The remainder will be spent on real estate and construction.

"They are going to build a 25,000-square-foot die storage facility to store all their dies," Beeson said. "The machinery is going to be a brand new, state-of-the-art press."

The new press will be able to produce mini-van bodies, which are all one piece, he said.

"The press they have now cannot handle those larger demands," Beeson said.

The Wooster Growth Corp. and Wooster City Schools both unanimously approved the deal.

The abatement, because it is 50 percent, did not need to be approved by the school board. However, Beeson said, Gerstenslager went before the board out of good faith and asked for its approval.

In other business, council will consider buying a new vehicle and firearms for the Police Department.

Legislation will come before council that would authorize the purchase of an unmarked vehicle for the detective bureau.

A second piece of legislation would authorize the purchase of 45 handguns to replace the 11-year-old sidearms currently being used in the department. There are 39 police officers on Wooster's force.

The cost of the vehicle is not to exceed $20,000, while the firearms will cost not more than $13,000.